Month: October 2022
Drought and Flood in East Africa
An area being hit by simultaneous flooding and droughts may seem contradictory, but it is the result of the greater fluctuations in weather systems that virtually all scientists say is the result of man-made climate change. A couple of years ago a weather system called the Indian Ocean Dipole caused record rains to fall over
Iran drone experts in Russia
Russia has used the drones and missiles to hit critical infrastructure around Ukraine in recent days, destroying almost a third of the country’s power stations since Monday last week. The UK has announced sanctions on three Iranian generals and an arms firm over Russia’s use of Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. Iran has deployed military
restored communication in Shetland after under sea cable cut
Modern submarine cables use fibre optic technology and are typically as wide as a garden hose. Lasers on one end fire at rapid rates down thin glass fibres to receptors at the other end of the cable. These glass fibres are wrapped in layers of plastic – and sometimes steel wire – for protection. Cables
Growing Russia-Iran ties
Russia’s predicament in Ukraine has prompted Moscow to turn to Tehran for stocks of precision-guided weapons. Its own arsenals are fast running out. There have been a number of instances where coastal defence and air defence missiles have been used by the Russians to strike at land targets in Ukraine – a role for which
Google fined $161m for unfair practices
Google is facing a series of anti-trust cases in India and authorities are also probing Google’s conduct in the smart TV market and its in-app payments system. The Android-related inquiry was started in 2019, following complaints by consumers of Android smartphones. Indian authorities have fined Google 13bn rupees ($161m; £144m) for using its Android platform
SARS-CoV-2 ” genetically engineered”
Many think that covid-19’s emergence was a zoonosis a spillover, as so many new pathogens are, from wild animals, for it resembles a group of coronaviruses found in bats. Others have pointed to the enthusiastic coronavirus engineering going on in laboratories around the world, but particularly in Wuhan the Chinese city where the virus was
Afghanistan’s central bank needs its assets back
Afghanistan’s frozen assets abroad have raged since the Taliban seized back control of the country in August 2021. In a standoff between the Taliban and America, there is a desperate need to find low-key solutions for reviving the financial sector, and thus the Afghan economy, despite the mutual hostility that persists. In the local bazaars,
American democracy is under trial
President Joe Biden declared that American democracy was under attack from Donald Trump and his supporters, who still falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Is Mr Biden right? Many people who support Mr Trump’s version of events are running for positions in local government that help administer elections, including as secretaries of state,
Shortest serving UK prime minister
Liz Truss. On her 45th day in office, Britain’s prime minister threw in the towel amid a series of blows to her leadership. She had promised a radical new era of economic growth. Instead, she will be remembered for her many U-turns, unforced political and economic blunders, and having the shortest tenure of any British
Russia’s drone attacks in Ukraine
Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions or “suicide” drones, have proliferated in recent years. Their effectiveness varies. Switchblade 300s, a bomb-carrying drone supplied by America to Ukraine, are among the best. A live video stream allows a remote operator to hit moving targets or call off an attack likely to cause collateral damage. Ukrainians